Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

[sampollock]

everyone knows my stance on this
just hard for me to see why so many think he will fail
I guess we review this in a year or so, see what comes out of this

Gally does squat and gets big money, lot's of players do
have to wait and see , I hope the best for any player that is traded or draft to the CH.
I feel most fans want to be the "one" that can say I don't you so

 

[japhi27returns]

When he's healthy he plays like an 10m player, not an 8m player. 8-9 is what I imagine his value to be right now on a 6 year deal. 5 is absurd.

Recency bias. This stretch is an outlier, not who he is as a player. Yes the past 20 games have been great but we have a much longer sample to judge him by. And jesus, 2 weeks ago, when he was out with the flu, this board had given up on him.

And no way he is more valuable than a guy like Suzuki, who plays every night, toughest competition in the league and at a PPG. 8-9MM for 55 games a year, get real. No team wanted him at that 4 months ago, 20 games hasn’t changed the math.

Proper play is to let this thing run out unless he takes a significant discount.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Recency bias. This stretch is an outlier, not who he is as a player. Yes the past 20 games have been great but we have a much longer sample to judge him by. And jesus, 2 weeks ago, when he was out with the flu, this board had given up on him.

And no way he is more valuable than a guy like Suzuki, who plays every night, toughest competition in the league and at a PPG. 8-9MM for 55 games a year, get real. No team wanted him at that 4 months ago, 20 games hasn’t changed the math.

Proper play is to let this thing run out unless he takes a significant discount.

We'll know more when its time to sign. I'd be happy to have him on a fair deal. And you know as well as I do all the reasons why suzukis contract isn't a comparable.

 

[Marioesque]

Uhmm... maybe there's a cultural gap here, but I don't think a hair transplant or dental work for purely cosmetic reasons is really about "fixing" anything. If you're feeling that Laine should get those things "fixed", maybe it tells more about you and the culture you come from than Laine.

Yeah that seems like a cultural gap for sure. I feel as a Finn that trying to change your appearances to please others would be more of a sign of weakness, than a sign of health.

I mean, just looking at how he dresses he doesn't GAF

 

[That Habs Fan]

Uhmm... maybe there's a cultural gap here, but I don't think a hair transplant or dental work for purely cosmetic reasons is really about "fixing" anything. If you're feeling that Laine should get those things "fixed", maybe it tells more about you and the culture you come from than Laine.

If this was about Laine struggling to maintain personal hygiene, I'd agree with you.

The latter was my intent.

 

[BLONG7]

Patrick Laine is just heating up boys............gotta stay healthy, but this is going to keep getting better.
There is way more there, in his tool box.
Not to mention Kirby Dach is hitting his stride also!!

 

[Trabdy2]

I'm glad we have some time with him to do a "trial" of sorts before we need to consider an extension.

He obviously has one of the best shots in the league and can lift people out of their seats generating a scoring chance on his own off the rush with his handling ability. He gives our 2nd line a serious offensive threat that makes opposing coaches really contemplate how they plan to defend our top two lines. He's fun to watch on the PP.

I'd really like to see more out of him without the puck. He has such a big reach and frame and if he can find ways to use it a bit more effectively without the puck, he'd be a complete monster out there.

If he isn't scoring, it might be fair to ask the question - "what else is he doing?". There are inconsistencies. But in the right environment, he can pot 40 - 50 goals, and very few players can do that.

I wonder how much Hughes would be contemplating for a contract extension. It will be a big decision to make.

 

[26Mats]

I'm glad we have some time with him to do a "trial" of sorts before we need to consider an extension.

He obviously has one of the best shots in the league and can lift people out of their seats generating a scoring chance on his own off the rush with his handling ability. He gives our 2nd line a serious offensive threat that makes opposing coaches really contemplate how they plan to defend our top two lines. He's fun to watch on the PP.

I'd really like to see more out of him without the puck. He has such a big reach and frame and if he can find ways to use it a bit more effectively without the puck, he'd be a complete monster out there.

If he isn't scoring, it might be fair to ask the question - "what else is he doing?". There are inconsistencies. But in the right environment, he can pot 40 - 50 goals, and very few players can do that.

I wonder how much Hughes would be contemplating for a contract extension. It will be a big decision to make.

He fits well. Only question mark is: what willhis salary demands be? Hopefully Hughes doesn't drop the ball like MB did with Radulov.

He'll be fine in the right role, with the right linemates. I hope long term he either has chemistry with Suzuki or Demidov, or Dach if Dach get get back to his old trajectory.

 

[Calendal]

He’s the type of player you need to take the good with the bad. Perhaps like Kovalev but even more. The good is better but the bad might be worse. And it’s built in the cake. We need to look at the big picture. All his goals weigh too heavy on the scale. We need him.

I respectfully disagree. Laine has never played “bad” when the team plays well (for a stretch of games, when not hurt). Yeah I know some aspects of his game are always bad, but I’ve never seen him not play well when his team plays well.

When there is 100% around him you tend to get 100% from him.

 

[behemolari]

Laine is so interesting to me. I never got to watch him play much before we got him, only the highlights (which was mainly his lethal accurate one timer).

Was he this slow prior to the last 2 years of injuries and missed time?
He still covers a lot of ice with his gigantic lanky frame and extra long stick, puck handling etc. but it seems like he is painfully slow skating, and I can’t tell if that’s something we should be worried about or if it’s always been like this. For people that have seen him frequently prior to the injuries and time off, has he a lost a step skating wise? It feels like it’s holding him back from being that star forward at 5 on 5 play.

Regardless, he’s been the the highlight of the year for me (Hutson close second, but I already knew he was going to be good for us. Didn’t think we’d ever land a star like Laine)

Not entirely correct, he is not that slow skater just does have some serious fatigue problems. His acceleration is always good at the beginning of games but it doesnt remain long. There has been some glimpses of better condition like his last game with Jets, he was skating like crazy and dominating whole game, after that not so much.

 

[le_sean]

I respectfully disagree. Laine has never played “bad” when the team plays well (for a stretch of games, when not hurt). Yeah I know some aspects of his game are always bad, but I’ve never seen him not play well when his team plays well.

When there is 100% around him you tend to get 100% from him.

The team played well last night and he played like shit so I can’t agree there.

 

[behemolari]

I respectfully disagree. Laine has never played “bad” when the team plays well (for a stretch of games, when not hurt). Yeah I know some aspects of his game are always bad, but I’ve never seen him not play well when his team plays well.

When there is 100% around him you tend to get 100% from him.

funny thing is at the moment you think he is playing poorly he scores

its been like that always

 

[26Mats]

The team played well last night and he played like shit so I can’t agree there.

He didn't have offensive chances or create and score the OT winner?

 

[japhi27returns]

We'll know more when its time to sign. I'd be happy to have him on a fair deal. And you know as well as I do all the reasons why suzukis contract isn't a comparable.

Yup we shall see. I will be here to remind people of what we bought when he misses his next stretch of games. Sure hope I’m wrong, maybe this is the marriage that sticks, but reminder that Jets and Jackets fell in love and those were some nasty ass divorces. And as recently as 2024 he was a cap dump.

And your teams top players contract is always a comparable for a team trying to build the right culture. Can you imagine giving him more than Suzuki, CC and Guhle - all players no one would trade for him, and he plays 59 games a year?

And FWIW I f***ing love watching him on this team, but have a feeling on how this all ends.

 

[red devil]

 

[Victoire HuGo]

I'm still on the fence about keeping him long term. I'd keep the term no longer than 4 years at the most.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I'm glad we have some time with him to do a "trial" of sorts before we need to consider an extension.

He obviously has one of the best shots in the league and can lift people out of their seats generating a scoring chance on his own off the rush with his handling ability. He gives our 2nd line a serious offensive threat that makes opposing coaches really contemplate how they plan to defend our top two lines. He's fun to watch on the PP.

I'd really like to see more out of him without the puck. He has such a big reach and frame and if he can find ways to use it a bit more effectively without the puck, he'd be a complete monster out there.

If he isn't scoring, it might be fair to ask the question - "what else is he doing?". There are inconsistencies. But in the right environment, he can pot 40 - 50 goals, and very few players can do that.

I wonder how much Hughes would be contemplating for a contract extension. It will be a big decision to make.

Damn fine playmaker too.

 

[Sorinth]

Yup we shall see. I will be here to remind people of what we bought when he misses his next stretch of games. Sure hope I’m wrong, maybe this is the marriage that sticks, but reminder that Jets and Jackets fell in love and those were some nasty ass divorces. And as recently as 2024 he was a cap dump.

And your teams top players contract is always a comparable for a team trying to build the right culture. Can you imagine giving him more than Suzuki, CC and Guhle - all players no one would trade for him, and he plays 59 games a year?

And FWIW I f***ing love watching him on this team, but have a feeling on how this all ends.

Out of curiosity how do you think Suzuki, CC, Guhle would react if Hughes told them they were letting Laine walk because he's asking for more money then them and Hughes said no?

Because I'm pretty sure all 3 would say F-that give the guy what he wants and get him signed.

 

[tooji]

Agreed, and he is going to break our hearts when he misses important games down the stretch, in the playoffs.

By now you know what you are getting….. 2/3 available games played. So he’s around a 5mm guy IMO. Healthy, 8 but you can’t pay him for games you KNOW he won’t play.

If he loves it here, and feels healthy, he does a sweetheart deal. If not, it’s been a slice.

his contract will completely depend on his body of work within our organization. If he is healthy all year next year and pots 40 (on top of potting ~30 this year) then I can’t see anything less than 8M

 

[LaP]

I'm still on the fence about keeping him long term. I'd keep the term no longer than 4 years at the most.

If we don't draft high this year you kind of have no choice but to bet on him for 3-4 years. This kind of players are very hard to get and no team will give you one for Mailloux or Roy or Mesar or a package of those.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...honestly, if Laine can at least remain on the scoreboard consistantly, I'd deal him at next year's deadline for a haul...I know, unpopular opinion, but there's bound to be at least one GM who's willing to sell a small fortune of good young players/prospects for a snipe the level of Laine...

 

[Captain Mountain]

Patrik Laine has played 18 games as a Hab.

The Habs are watchable for the first time since 2021.

Can we at least pause the contract extension talk for another couple of cycles of "He's the best player in the world" and "He's awful" first?

 

[Mudz]

...honestly, if Laine can at least remain on the scoreboard consistantly, I'd deal him at next year's deadline for a haul...I know, unpopular opinion, but there's bound to be at least one GM who's willing to sell a small fortune of good young players/prospects for a snipe the level of Laine...

Who's gonna be UFA? Do you have any example of a GM doing it?

 

[Sorinth]

his contract will completely depend on his body of work within our organization. If he is healthy all year next year and pots 40 (on top of potting ~30 this year) then I can’t see anything less than 8M

In most circumstances teams would want to sign pending UFAs the summer before they play out that final year. Now sure given the circumstances we might want to wait a bit, but we can't wait for him to play out all of next season and therefore know he's back to scoring 40, at the latest we would be aiming at re-signing him next January, because you want the negotiations to happen well before the TDL. So the body of work will be this season plus half of next season.

 

[Sorinth]

Laine is so interesting to me. I never got to watch him play much before we got him, only the highlights (which was mainly his lethal accurate one timer).

Was he this slow prior to the last 2 years of injuries and missed time?
He still covers a lot of ice with his gigantic lanky frame and extra long stick, puck handling etc. but it seems like he is painfully slow skating, and I can’t tell if that’s something we should be worried about or if it’s always been like this. For people that have seen him frequently prior to the injuries and time off, has he a lost a step skating wise? It feels like it’s holding him back from being that star forward at 5 on 5 play.

Regardless, he’s been the the highlight of the year for me (Hutson close second, but I already knew he was going to be good for us. Didn’t think we’d ever land a star like Laine)

I didn't watch him a ton, but yes his skating was better, but it was never a huge part of his game. So we should see improvements in that regards, but don't expect to see a Dach level of change.